Label-dating mechanism.



G. G FRELINGHUYSEN. LABEL DATING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED OCT. I1, 1916.

' Patented. Oct. 1, 1918.

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m3 kmw fl WILLE II+ h/ ATTORNEY WITNESSES G. G. FRELINGHUYSEN. LABEL DATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-11.1915. 1 20,2020 Patented 0013.1,1918.

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3 f i I k 2i m 3 w 0 o w WITNESSES INVENTOR.

1 GEORGE G. FRELINGHUYSEN, OF MORRIS COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 STEEL UTILITIES, INC., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LABEL-DATING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1918.

Application filed October 11, 1916. Serial No. 125,120.

ing labels in quantity by marking the edges,

whereby the manufacturer will have a per manent record upon commodity packages of the date when filled. Other objects and advantages will be set forth in part hereinafter, and in part will be obvious herefrom,

the same being attained through the means and instrumentalities pointed out in the appended claims. a

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, herein referred to,'- and constituting a part hereof,

illustrate one embodiment of the invention,

and together with the description serve to explain the principles thereo Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a machine embodying the invention;

, Fig. 2 is a'section on the line A--B of Fig.1;and I V Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate labels.

In packaging many commodities it is desirable for the manufacturer or purveyor to mark the package with the date of filling and sealing, and itis frequently desirable to do this by placing a hronological mark semi-fluid and other commodities which are- 40' on a label 'ap lied to the ackage, and this is especially esirable in t e cases of 'fiuld,

packaged in bottles, tins and the like. It is also frequently desirable that this chronological or dating mark be decipherable or legible only by the manufacturer or purveyor and that it be unnoted or not understood by consumers of the commodity.

It has been the practiceto date labels by a punching or perforating" numerals therethrough corresponding to the month, day

. and year, but this is obj ectionable because it causes adjacent labels to stick together and thus interferes with and stops'the label affixing machine, caus ng a waste both of time and labels. Furthermore, so marking. the

' lablesis tediousand expensive, as the labels oan: be punched only in small groups or bunches, and the punches are rapidly dulled and must be frequently replaced. With certain" lines of merchandise such universally decipherable dating by perforating the numerals of the day of month and year in the label is objectionable, as consumers are thereby frequently groundlessly prejudiced against commodities.

By means of the present invention, the labels may be marked in packs or bundles of thousands, the marking of a group of one or more thousands of labels consuming very little labor, and sufficient labels for the daily output of even the largest factories may be thus chronologicallymarked in a few minutes of time. Further by this invention the marking of the labels does not cause them to stick together, also there is but little wear on the marking mechanism, and when desired the mark may be undecipherable by the consumer.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example an embodiment of the invention, the labels as, which may number hundreds or thousands, are firmly clamped together in a carrier, and when so clamped their edges are indented at selected places or points corresponding to months and days of the month. As shown, the labels w are of irregular conformation although rectangular or circular or other shaped labels may be employed if desired. The label holder comprises end plates 1 and 2, to one of which it attached a side and bottom support 3. The other end plate is shaped to pass within the support 3, so that groups of labels varying widely in number may be held in the carrier an marked.

The plates 1 and 2 of the carrier are movable from each other to receive the labels w and are movable toward each other to firmly press together and hold the labels for marking. In the embodied form, the end plates 1 and 2 are provided, respectively, with internally screw-threaded bosses 1 and 5, which bosses are in threaded engagement with a right-hand and left-hand screwthreaded shaft 6. When the shaft 6 is turned in one direction, the plates 1 and 2 recede from each other and when the shaft 6 is turned in the other direction, plates 1 and 2 approach each other and press together and firmly hold the labels w. The end plates 1 and 2 have at their bottoms projections 7 and 8, which enter into and travel along packaging within a limit of one week.

a groove 9 in a bed plate 10 of the machine.

The shaft 6 is conveniently provided with past the markin device.

The embodied form of marking device comprises a rotating miller or saw 1 1, mounted on a shaft 15 of a motor 16, the

saw 14 being preferably within a safety casing 17 Means are provided for relatively positioning the marking device 14 and the gang of labels a: in accordance with the day and month to be marked on the label. In the embodied form of such means, the motor 16 is slidable (to the right and left in Fig. 1) upon a table 18, which table is carried upon a bracket 19 fixed to the machine frame. The base 20 of the motor is formed to slide upon the table 19 and has a portion projecting into a grooved guideway 21 in the face of the table 19. Projecting downwardly from the base 20 is an internally screwthreaded lug 22. The lug 22 is in threaded engagement with a screw shaft 28, which shaft is journaled in supports 24 and 25 formed on the underside of the table 18. The screw shaft 23 may be provided with a handle 26.

Chronological indications are provided for indicating the position of the marking device 14 relatively to the labels in the holder. With the form of label shown, it

- is convenient to indicate the dates by secret markings at the edges a, b, 0 and (Z of the labels. Thus anyone of four points or positions along edge a may be selected for notching, and may be used for the first four months of the year. Four similar points. or positions at the edge Z) may be used and may be selected for the succeeding four months of the year, and four points or positions at the edge 0 may be used, and selected when needed for the remaining fourmonths of the year. A notch selectively placed at any one of these positions would indicate the month of the year in which the com modity was packaged. At the edge (Z, would be four positions indicating the weeks of the month, thus two notches selectively placed in the edge of the label, one notchat the proper point in either of edges a, b c, and the other notch at the proper point in edge 03, would give the date of It will be obvious that the arrangement of notches may be varied as desired to indicate the'precise day of the month, and also to in-- from the consumer, there need be no typographical or other indications upon the label which would be ordinarily decipherable, while on the otherhand if this should not be an object, numerals could be placed upon the label whereby the date could be read. If desired, a master plate or index may be utilized by the manufacturer to read the secret marking of the labels, but usually in practice the labels can be read by the eye of one familiar therewith and knowing the system of secret marking.

In the embodied form, as stated, the relative change of position between the marking device and the clamped labels for indicating the date is effected by moving the motor and marking device to the right and to the left in Fig. 1. The chronological index in the present case comprises four marks 27 on the table 18, and a cooperating: mark 28 on the base 20 of the motor 16. The four marks on the table correspond to the points or positions on the edges of the label for days, Weeks or months, and the mark 28 corresponds to the selected date which will be marked by the marking device. The marking device 14 may be accurately positioned by turning the handle 26 of the screw shaft.

The shaft 6 is drawn forwarder back so that the labels clamped in the carrier may be clear of the marking device, say to the right in Fig. 2, as the shaft slides in its bearings 12 and 13. Shaft 6 is rotated to move plates 1 and 2 away from each other so that the gang or package of labels w may be placed within the carrier. Shaft 6 is then rotated in the opposite direction to press plates 1 and 2 together and so firmly hold the gang of lahelsw. The motor 16 is started, and the shaft 6 is moved longitudinally, sliding in its bearings 12. and 13, and carrying the plates 4: and 5 with the gang of labels, to feed the labels past the marker 14, thereby marking them at the selected chronological point.

From all the foregoing it will be understood that a machine has been provided realizing the objects and advantages herein set forth, together with other objects and advantages which will be obvious herefrom or which may be learned from practising the invention. It will be understood also that changes may be made from the exact things and constructions herein shown and described without departing from the principles ofthe invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

The label andthe method of dating commodity packages are claimed in divisional applications Ser. Nos. 217,332 and 217,333, filed February 15, 1918.

What I claim as my'invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A label dating machine including "in combination label supporting means, label marking means, and means including an indicating device for relatively positioning the labels carried by the supporting means and the marking means preparatory to marking the label at a predetermined arbitrary point upon the label to indicate a date.

2. A label dating machine including in combination label supporting means, means for notching the edges of the labels, and means including an indicating device for relatively positioning labels carried by the supporting means and notching means preparatory to notehing the label edge at a predetermined arbitrary point upon the label to indicate a date.

3. A label dating machine including in combination means for supporting and positioning a pack of labels, a notching saw, means including an indicating device for relatively positioning transversely the label supporting and positioning means and the saw preparatory to notching the edges of the pack of labels at a predetermined arbitrary point to indicate a date, and "means for efi'ecting longitudinal movement between the saw and label pack to notch the labels.

4:. A label dating machine including in combination a base, a motor transversely movable thereon, a carriage for a pack of labels longitudinally slidable along the base, label clamping means on the carriage, and a saw on the motor shaft for notching the edges of the pack of labels as the carriage is slid along the base.

5. A label dating machine including in combination a base, a motor, a saw on the motor shaft, and means for clamping a pack of labels supported on said base, means for transversely positioning the pack of labels to be notched by the saw at an arbitrary predetermined point in the labels to indicate a date, and means for moving the pack of labels past the saw.

6. A label dating machine including in combination a base, a motor, a saw on the motor shaft, and means for clamping a pack of labels supported on said base, means for transversely and selectively positioning the pack of labels relatively to the saw to be notched by the saw at an arbitrary predetermined point in the labels to indicate a date, and means for moving the pack of labels past the saw.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE G. FRELINGHUYSEN.

Witnesses:

ERNEST M. TAPNER, Gnnnnr R. POTIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

